Volume and area changes of the Milne Ice Shelf, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, since 1950

Mortimer, Colleen; Copland, Luke; Mueller, Derek

doi:10.1029/2011jf002074

Cited by 28 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(65 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…3; Mortimer et al, 2012;Hamilton, 2016). The topology of the ice shelf is quite variable owing to its complex origins and has been divided into three regions based on surface morphology and ice characteristics (Jeffries, 1986).…”

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The topology of the ice shelf is quite variable owing to its complex origins and has been divided into three regions based on surface morphology and ice characteristics (Jeffries, 1986). The previously defined inner unit, which once abutted the Milne Glacier tongue, has been replaced with epishelf lake ice since the 1980s (Mortimer et al, 2012). The central unit currently forms the landward (southern) edge of the ice shelf and has an erratic surface morphology and highly variable thickness owing to substantial past input from tributary glaciers, and is apparent as a region of low backscatter (dark) in SAR imagery (Fig.…”

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3), although the drainage pathway of the lake has not been confirmed by observations. The MIS is in a state of negative mass balance (Mortimer et al, 2012) and is not expected to regenerate in the current climate (Copland et al, 2007;Veillette et al, 2011a;White et al, 2015a).…”

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The pattern indicated that the rate of shoaling depended on the relative depth difference between the halocline and the ice dam, suggesting an internal hydraulically controlled flow. Ice-penetrating radar ice thickness surveys collected between (Mortimer et al, 2012Hamilton, 2016) indicate that the outflow pathway under the MIS is likely along a narrow basal channel following the east-west re-healed fracture in the outer unit. The measured ice thickness at a few locations along the mid-line of the basal channel is 8-11 m, suggesting the ice at the apex of the channel could be acting as a hydraulic control on outflow and thus determining the rate of change in the depth of the epishelf lake over winter.…”

Section: Outflowmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assuming the ice shelf is free-floating, shoaling of the ice dam could be caused by three mechanisms: (1) mean surface ablation thinning the ice shelf and causing an upward shift of ice dam due to hydrostatic adjustment; (2) localized submarine melting of the ice along the basal channel due to warm epishelf lake outflow leading to thinning of the ice dam; or (3) submarine accretion of ice on the deeper portions of the ice shelf (not in the channel itself) thickening the ice shelf and causing an upward shift of the ice dam with hydrostatic adjustment (in this scenario lateral bridging stresses across the channel must allow ice in the channel to be raised out of hydrostatic equilibrium). Given that the Milne Ice Shelf is in a state of negative mass balance (Mortimer et al, 2012), the latter mechanism is unlikely, and the shoaling of the lake is likely due to either surface ablation or melting along the basal channel, or some combination of the two.…”

Section: Changes In Thickness Of the Mismentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Dynamic response of an Arctic epishelf lake to seasonal and long-term forcing: implications for ice shelf thickness

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Changes in the depth of the freshwater-seawater interface in epishelf lakes have been used to infer long-term changes in the minimum thickness of ice shelves; however, little is known about the dynamics of epishelf lakes and what other factors may influence their depth. Continuous observations collected between 2011 and 2014 in the Milne Fiord epishelf lake, in the Canadian Arctic, showed that the depth of the halocline varied seasonally by up to 3.3 m, which was comparable to interannual variability. The seasonal depth variation was controlled by the magnitude of surface meltwater inflow and the hydraulics of the inferred outflow pathway, a narrow basal channel in the Milne Ice Shelf. When seasonal variation and an episodic mixing of the halocline were accounted for, long-term records of depth indicated there was no significant change in thickness of ice along the basal channel from 1983 to 2004, followed by a period of steady thinning at 0.50 m a −1 between 2004 and 2011. Rapid thinning at 1.15 m a −1 then occurred from 2011 to 2014, corresponding to a period of warming regional air temperatures. Continued warming is expected to lead to the breakup of the ice shelf and the imminent loss of the last known epishelf lake in the Arctic.

show abstract

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Outflowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Changes In Thickness Of the Mismentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Dynamic response of an Arctic epishelf lake to seasonal and long-term forcing: implications for ice shelf thickness

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Ground‐Penetrating Radar: Operation Principle and Data Processing

Catapano

Gennarelli

Ludeno

et al. 2019

Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) is a technology exploiting radiofrequency and microwaves to image optically opaque media, with the main aim of gaining information about the geometry of buried or hidden targets. Differently from a conventional radar, which is used mostly for navigation and surveillance, GPR requires a more challenging design because it must be able to investigate loss media and mitigate multipath and clutter, which can obscure the targets of interest. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the main scientific and technical aspects for a reliable use of GPR technology and the production of easily interpretable images. Specifically, a survey of the hardware solutions and data processing procedures is provided by giving a brief review of the state of art solutions. In addition, the state of art microwave tomographic approach is presented and validated against experimental data collected in laboratory conditions.

show abstract

Outlet glacier response to the 2012 collapse of the Matusevich Ice Shelf, Severnaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Matusevich Ice Shelf (MIS), located within the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago in the Russian Arctic, rapidly broke apart between 10 August and 7 September 2012. We examine the response of the outlet glaciers that fed the MIS from local ice caps to the removal of the ice shelf. We use spaceborne laser altimetry and multiple optically derived digital elevation models to track ice surface elevation change rates (dh/dt) between 1984 and 2014. Glacier speeds are measured by pixel‐tracking from optical and RADAR imagery between 2010 and 2014 and interferometric synthetic aperture radar in 1995 to compare precollapse and postcollapse velocities. We find that the three main outlet glaciers that fed the MIS are thinning an order of magnitude more rapidly than most of the rest of Severnaya Zemyla, based upon ICESat data from 2003 to 2009. Recent, 2012 to 2014 thinning rates are three to four times faster than the 30 year average thinning rate, calculated between 1984 and 2014. The springtime speeds of the largest outlet glacier (Issledovateley) have increased more than 200% at the terminus between April 2010 and April 2014. To date, changes in surface elevation (dh/dt) and velocity at the outlet glaciers near MIS are smaller than glacier responses to ice shelf collapse in Antarctica. It is possible that the MIS was already very weak prior to the 2012 collapse and unable to support back stress. Further observations are required to assess whether the thinning and nonmelt season glacier speeds are continuing to accelerate.

show abstract

Volume and area changes of the Milne Ice Shelf, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, since 1950

Cited by 28 publications

References 44 publications

Dynamic response of an Arctic epishelf lake to seasonal and long-term forcing: implications for ice shelf thickness

Dynamic response of an Arctic epishelf lake to seasonal and long-term forcing: implications for ice shelf thickness

Ground‐Penetrating Radar: Operation Principle and Data Processing

Outlet glacier response to the 2012 collapse of the Matusevich Ice Shelf, Severnaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About